The firing incident outside the Juhu residence of famous film director Rohit Shetty has shaken the entertainment world and security agencies. A thorough investigation by Mumbai Crime Branch has revealed shockingly that the entire conspiracy of this attack was hatched from behind the bars of the jail. Police have so far arrested 12 accused including the main shooter in this case.
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According to the crime branch, the attack might have been carried out from inside the jail itself and might have been carried out by people from outside. So far, a total of 12 accused, including the main shooter, have been arrested in this case. Investigators believe that the planning, coordination and execution were not separate actions, but were part of a larger network that was working together.
The role of the accused in jail is under investigation
Sources say that Praveen Lonkar, brother of Shubham Lonkar, associated with Bishnoi gang, is being seen as an important person in this case. Praveen is currently in judicial custody in connection with the Baba Siddiqui murder case. Police suspect that he had arranged weapons, money and logistics for the attack while inside the jail.
The role of the accused in jail is under investigation
Sources reveal that Praveen Lonkar, brother of Shubham Lonkar, associated with Bishnoi gang, is being seen as an important person in this case. Praveen is currently in judicial custody in connection with the Baba Siddiqui murder case. Police suspect that he had arranged weapons, funds and logistics for the attack while inside the jail.
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The crime branch believes that Praveen used his outside contacts to coordinate funding, weapons and negotiations between the accused. Officials are now trying to find out how he came in contact with people outside and how the instructions were given. Since he is already in jail, preparations are underway to formally arrest him in this case and take him on remand to piece together the entire conspiracy.
According to police sources, the motorcycle, pistol and funding used in the attack were also arranged at the behest of Praveen Lonkar. The investigation is now focused on understanding how such operations were managed from inside the jail.
From Reiki to escape, how to make a plan
The crime branch has formed about 12 teams to investigate this high-profile case. Officials say that after getting the custody of Praveen Lonkar, more information about the conspiracy and further plans of the gang may come to light. The timeline of the incident clearly shows that planning was done in advance. On January 20, 2026, shooters Deepak Sharma, Sonu Kumar and Sunny Kumar completed their last recce at the behest of Shubham Lonkar and fixed the date of firing. Between January 15 and 20, Sonu and Sunny had surveyed the area two-three times on a scooter brought from Pune. After the last recce, the scooty was left in the railway parking area where they found it on January 15, and the key was still there. It remained there for about 11 days, due to which no one got suspicious.
On the night of January 31, the three accused went from Kalyan to Mumbai by taxi. After reaching Juhu, he took out the same scooty from the parking area and used it for the operation.Later Deepak and Sonu dropped Sunny at Juhu Chowpatty. Then both of them sat at one place and drank alcohol. After some time, they reached near Rohit Shetty’s house. Leaving Scooty and Sonu at a distance, Deepak moved forward and started firing with the semi-automatic pistol.
After the firing, the three first left together. Left the scooty near Juhu bus stop. He then tried to hire an auto for Kalyan, but the driver refused. Another auto driver agreed to take them to Thane station. From there, they took another auto to Kalyan station, where a fourth accused joined them. The group then boarded an express train to Bhopal, changed trains to reach Agra, and stayed in a village there for a few days.
Later Deepak and Sonu went to Noida and stayed at Vishal’s house. After that, he was given shelter by Hrithik in Haryana. Police have arrested Vishal, Hrithik and Jatin for helping the accused by providing them shelter, money and other resources while escaping.
Investigation has also revealed that the accused used private vehicles four times and public transport twice while traveling to and from Mumbai. Police have examined thousands of CCTV footage to trace their route. The weapon used in the firing has not been recovered yet.
During interrogation, the accused admitted that their intention was to spread fear. He said that this task was given to him by Vishnu Kushwaha of his village, who is believed to be linked to Golu Pandit of Shubham Lonkar gang, who is involved in an extortion case of Rs 5 crore in Sriganganagar, Rajasthan.
The accused also told investigators that they were influenced by the criminals’ bragging rights on the gang’s social media accounts and wanted to make a name for themselves. Before the incident, some members of the gang had gone to Mumbai for recce. On the night of 1 February, shots were fired from a semi-automatic pistol supplied by the gang.